British Airways Flight 149 touched down at Kuwait International Airport within the early hours of August 2 1990 as Iraqi armed forces have been invading.
More than 300 folks onboard have been detained by Iraqi troops, marking the beginning of an ordeal lasting virtually 5 months as they have been utilized by Saddam Hussein as “human shields” in opposition to western assaults.
The info was by no means handed to BA, which was unable to take motion to divert the flight, in response to the Foreign Office information launched to the National Archives.
There have been claims {that a} group of round 10 males who have been the primary to disembark when the airplane landed have been particular forces troops, however this has all the time been denied by the UK Government.
But McCue Jury and Partners stated “evidence exists” that the Government and BA “knew the invasion had already begun” after they allowed the airplane to land as a result of it was getting used to insert a group into Kuwait “for a special military operation”.
The agency is interesting for extra passengers and crew members of the flight to affix the declare, which it intends to herald the High Court in London within the coming months.
It stated every of the hostages “may claim an estimated average of £170,000 each in damages”.
We weren’t handled as residents, however as expendable pawns for business and political achieve
Matthew Jury, managing companion of McCue Jury and Partners, stated: “The lives and safety of innocent civilians were sacrificed by the British Government and British Airways for the sake of an off-the-books military operation.
“Both have concealed and denied the truth for more than 30 years.
“The victims and survivors of Flight BA149 deserve justice for being treated as disposable collateral.”
Some of the hostages suffered post-traumatic stress after being subjected to abuse and witnessing atrocities.
One of the passengers participating within the declare is Barry Manners, who was a 24-year-old businessman on the time of the flight.
He stated: “We were not treated as citizens, but as expendable pawns for commercial and political gain.
“A victory over years of cover-up and bare-faced denial will help restore trust in our political and judicial process.”
A Government spokesman stated: “The Government has always condemned the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the suffering that followed and the mistreatment of those aboard BA149.
“The responsibility for these events and the mistreatment of those passengers and crew lies entirely with the government of Iraq at the time.”
A BA spokesman stated: “Our hearts go out to all those caught up in this shocking act of war just over 30 years ago, and who had to endure a truly horrendous experience.
“UK Government records released in 2021 confirmed British Airways was not warned about the invasion.”
